Articles

AZERBAIJAN – BULGARIA 2:0 (0:0)

January 6th, 2016, St. Petersburg, Peterburgsky SCC, 500 spectators

Best players: Metin Guler, Kaloyan Krastev

Post match comments

Tabriz Hasanov, Head coach of team Azerbaijan:

– This match was difficult and nervous. We spent much energy. Bulgaria is a good team, too. And it's more pleasant for us to realize that we were victorious today.

– That's thanks to what, first of all?

– Thanks to everything: devotion, character, much effort on the pitch, struggling for each ball in each moment. We knew strong sides of Bulgaria and we knew about their central position, so we tried to involve our wings.

– On the last minutes your team tried to play keeping the score. Was this your decision?

– No, it seems the guys decided it themselves. I didn't give such instructions. But I think it was normal, for they spent much energy and were tired.

– You said at the press conference after the previous game that the second match would show if they managed to overcome the initial nerves on the tournament. Have they managed?

– I think so. At least today they looked more confident. And now we don't have to pay attention to the age of the players who perform at this tournament. We have already arrived here and we have much to learn. We will have to play with this team at the European Championship which we're hosting.

– Team Azerbaijan has always been popular amongst spectators at Valentin Granatkin Memorial. Unfortunately this year we can see few Azerbaijanian supporters here. Why so?

– I don't know. I am hardly the right person to answer this question. But we are always glad to see the supporters. We always feel their support and always thank them after match. You see, now it's very frosty in St. Petersburg. I think this is the main reason. And add the vacations to this.

Viktorio Pavlov, Head coach of team Bulgaria:

– I think we've had an interesting but difficult game today. These were two completely different halves, in my view. We acted great in the first, but were worse physically in the second. It was Azerbaijan that played and felt physically better and so was more striving to win.

– You're obviously disappointed with the result. You were managing the game process throughout the entire match, but at some point you sat on the bench. Did you understand you would not win?

– I would not say I am disappointed with the result. It's more that I don't like that the team showed two absolutely different quality of play during the two halves. At the same time I clearly realize that if one team, and in this case it's Azerbaijan, is adding speed then the other team, us, has to go into deep defense.

– Just like Azerbaijan, your team consists of players born in 1999. You played two matched on this tournament already. Is there a difference in level the players are prepared at the age of 17 and the age of 18?

– There is a difference, indeed, and you can feel it, especially physically. Certainly those who are older overplay the younger in this component. But despite this difference I would note that we are better prepared tactically than some other teams.

#13 Azerbaijan – Bulgaria